


Zero to Love

by Charming Facade (CrystalSilhouette)



Series: Not That Anyone Is Counting [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lemon, M/M, Maybe Some Plot, PWP, Sexual Content, Smuff, Smut, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 20:42:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13982967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalSilhouette/pseuds/Charming%20Facade
Summary: Part two of Twenty Six.It's Lance's round. Afterward, Keith can't help but possibly regret what he's gotten into.





	Zero to Love

**Author's Note:**

> I hadn't originally planned for a second part to Twenty Six. But as the idea was planted in my head, I ended up rolling with it. Now that this is finished, I can get back to my other KLance story when I have time. Hope you enjoy. :)
> 
>   * [Tumblr](https://crystalsilhouette.tumblr.com/)
>   * [FF.Net](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/73584/)
> 


He never did this before. It never occurred to him that he would ever do it. But he couldn’t deny the want to. Not after what transpired just a little while ago. He wanted more of it and he wanted more of _him._ There had been a sexual thread there he had never realized existed until that tension snapped. Now, he couldn’t slake that new thirst. Lance could only hope that what he was doing made Keith feel as good as he wanted him to. He knew how he felt with certain touches and particular spots. If he just went with what _he_ thought felt good, he couldn’t be all that far off, right? He had his hands wrapped around Keith’s thighs from underneath, his counterpart’s legs draped over his shoulders as he laid on his stomach. His head bobbed up and down at a lurid pace, clearly in no rush to get Keith to any climax.

Even so, climax or not, Lance was driving him crazy. The simple fact that Lance was touching him, had kissed him, had held him near was enough to make Keith’s heart burst. This physical, sexual contact was insurmountable. The warmth of his mouth around him. The lurid drags of his wet tongue on his sensitive organ. The _sound_ of him as he did so. It nearly brought Keith to tears. Was it really that simple? Was the dread of judgement and rejection he lived with for so long really amount to nothing more than his insecure imagination? Could he have had Lance so much sooner? He decided it was ‘no’. The only reason they were there now was because of a fluke incident. A lapse in character that had Keith grabbing the reigns and pulling hard. How much he wished he still had that bit of confidence in him left.

Keith felt the wetness around him ebb and Lance’s tongue swirl around his tip. He covered his mouth to stifle a whine, his other hand clutching the pillow beneath his head. Lance felt Keith’s hips buck against him and looked up, licking his lips. He must have hit a good spot just then. Lance dragged the entire body of his tongue from base to tip on the underside of Keith’s excitement. His eyes watching Keith’s face and reaction. His prey moaned into his hand before taking in a shivering breath.

“No…” Lance unraveled himself from Keith’s legs and crawled over him, taking that hand away from his mouth and pinning it to the bed. “I want to hear you.”

Keith’s eyes went wide. His cheeks flushed, and he swallowed thickly. “That’s what started this all;” Lance’s features were shadowed as he hovered over him and Keith was left unable to reply to the visage of McClain’s chiseled frame lingering over him, his voice brusque with desire as he spoke. “Listening to you through that door while you thought of me. Well, I’m here now.” Lance pressed his hips against Keith’s and rolled them, bringing hot friction against their desires and Keith’s head rolled back in a thick groan. “I want to hear when **I** make you moan.”

Lance leaned further in and kissed at Keith’s exposed neck, following it along its curve to Keith’s sternum and feeling the thick swallow Keith made as his tongue traced the same line back up to the end of his chin. He gazed down at the flushed face of his bed partner, watching as he coyly averted his eyes. Suddenly, he had an amusingly dark thought. Lance kissed him squarely and earned a soft moan before his lips played at the shell of Keith’s ear. He felt that rising urge to be Lance and poke teasingly at Keith… just a little bit.

“When you thought of me…” he breathed, rolling his hips again, “Was I always good to you?”

Keith’s skin went hot and his legs instinctively shifted to accommodate the motion. “Y-yes…” Keith wasn’t sure if the soft hiss was an answer to the question posed or the carnal reaction to the friction between them. He hadn’t intended to vocalize either, but neither was a lie.

Lance smirked and nipped at the soft flesh of Keith’s earlobe, “What do I do to you?”

“Lance…” Keith finally protested. McClain’s questions were nothing he wanted to talk to him about. It was embarrassing enough that Lance found out that he fantasized about him. To ask him about it outright? And in the middle of…

“Come on.” Lance cooed again, lacing his fingers between Keith’s as he continued to keep his arms pinned to the bed. “Tell me… I can keep a secret. How am I in your fantasies? What do you make me do to you?”

Keith squirmed beneath him. “Lance, stop.” He really hated when Lance teased him.

“Do I stop in your fantasies when you ask?” Keith almost shuddered at the huskiness of that breath in his ear. He felt a slow kiss there that had more success before turning his head away to avoid answering.

Lance grinned impishly at the reaction to the question. “You never tell me to stop, do you? You never want me to.”

Keith’s ears were starting to color deeply at that point and he turned to glower at McClain, “Damn it, Lan-“ He was quickly hushed by eager lips and a playful tongue that insisted entry before they could speak anymore on the subject. Both, Keith accepted without hesitation. Not that he was ever going to admit it to Lance, but he _didn’t_ actually really hate it when Lance teased him. And no, he never asked Lance to stop. Yes, it was because he never wanted him to.

Keith almost smiled at the near purring that rumbled against his lips as he felt his mouth getting thoroughly explored. After a final, loud smacking of their lips, Lance shifted over Keith, trailing slow, searing kissed down his neck once more and down his chest. Keith could feel his skin prickle in anticipation before he finally tensed, his spine arching delicately at the feel a nipple becoming bathed in heat as Lance rolled his tongue over it. Keith couldn’t hide an audible sigh as Lance suckled at him, pulling and twisting with his lips and tongue. This was far better than any fantasy Keith ever had. He wanted him so much more his heart almost couldn’t bear it. _Take me._ He could feel himself wanting to say it, but his lips never moved. Any sound that would escape him was amatory and uncontrolled. But almost as though Lance heard him, he sat up, dragging a hand down Keith’s chest and stomach.

Keith could feel the caress of Lance’s cobalt eyes on him and it made him almost want to hide; shrink away into a dark corner somewhere and avoid feeling so exposed. But, he couldn’t look away from him either. He was agonizingly handsome and the fact that he held Keith’s gaze as he licked at his own fingers excited him. The man was just effortlessly sexy. Keith felt those wet fingers at his entrance and his hips naturally shifted. His body squirmed in anticipation and Lance watched every move intently. Slowly, he felt one enter. It was so different when Lance did it. The movements were erratic, long periods of stillness, slow movements, quick movements. There was no pattern and Keith knew that Lance did it on purpose, teasing him. _Fucker…_

Keith made an audible groan as Lance added more fingers. He wanted to say something. Lance wanted to tease him just a little more. But he couldn’t. He had become mesmerized by the fact that he writhed, literally, at his fingertips. Each twist of his wrist or curl of his fingers caused Keith to moan and sigh and clutch desperately at the sheets of his bed. This lone pillar of strength and self-reliance broke at his touch and Lance began to find he craved it. He liked seeing Keith this way. Not because he was malleable or dropped his guard. He relished the fact that Keith trusted him enough to allow his walls to fall. More so that it was _Lance_ he _wanted_ to be this way with. (Even if, up until now, it was in secret.) Hearing his name moaned on the other side of the bathroom door was something he never knew he wanted until now. This was better than what he pictured then.

“Keith…” Lance couldn’t wait anymore. “Babe.”

“H-hurry.” Was all the reply he needed. 

He positioned himself and, as both held their breath, he entered. He was slow and careful, underestimating how tight it would be – and how good. He moved until he had nothing left, crawling back over Keith in the process. As they came face to face, Keith clutching desperately at either side of his pillow, they released their breaths and looked at each other. Face studying face, falling into each other’s eyes. Lance reached to caress Keith’s cheek with a light touch. They hadn’t faced each other last time. He liked this better. His thumb brushed over Keith’s parted lips and in a racing heartbeat, Keith’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and lips crashed together. He didn’t even know when his hips started moving, but he never wanted them to stop. Not with the way Keith’s voice spilled from his lips between them, mingling into heated breaths and kisses. He could feel the fingers roaming through his hair. He could feel nails across the back of his shoulder. He was surprised to find that he liked both almost the same. But neither could best the moaning kisses. And nothing sent a shiver crawling down his spine the way Keith breathing his name did.

Much in the same way Keith felt about his own name on Lane’s lips. Every time he thought he would wake up and find himself alone, Lance called him. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to keep him in this euphoric haze or if Lance was trying to make sure he knew he was real. He clutched Lance tightly, not wanting to let him go. He didn’t want to lose this. He didn’t want to lose Lance. Just the thought that having the real thing and having it vanish burned at his eyes and he felt a tear roll down the side of his face. Keith washed away the thought through a moan and allowed the pleasures between them to push those worries and fears away.

“Keith…” Lance huffed against his lips, “Keith, I-I’m-“

Keith kissed him, clutching the hair on the nape of his neck and caressing his face. “Don’t stop… Me too.”

Lance dragged a hand down Keith’s side and over his hip. He lifted and pulled, caressed and pushed. His movements more fervent at the promise of release with his partner. He had been closer than he could handle and with a final push, he broke. His teeth clenched, and his body tensed with a low growl, and Keith felt every bit of it. A breath caught in his throat when he felt slender fingers wrap around his length and milked him for all he was worth.

“A-Aaahn!” Keith choked as he clawed at the broad back over him and at the sheets beneath, his waist lifting into the sexual motions. “Lance! La-nce!”

The room filled with Keith’s voice as he released, his body falling limp. As soon as Keith had finished, Lance toppled onto him. Both figures heaving with a euphoric exhaustion in their refrain. After a moment of rest, Keith felt Lance leave him before wrapping his arms around his waist and falling onto the bed next to him.

“Hmm..” Lance sighed, clearly satisfied as he buried his nose in Keith’s hair, holding him close. “That was incredible.”

Keith blushed, thinking the exact same thing, just not sure how to put it into words without simply saying it. He snuggled up against Lance’s chest, hiding his face, but feeling a small smile on his lips. If only he could hold onto that confidence he had in the shower. In the meantime, this warm fuzzy feeling in his chest would do. He sighed heavily and pressed his lips on the wall of muscle next to him and felt it rise and fall in a deep sigh. Keith would have given anything to stay in that moment forever, but, despite having just showered, he felt dirty and didn’t want to sit in their sex for too much longer. Keith looked up at Lance with heavy lids and felt his soft lips find his own. After several kisses, Keith sighed and moved to sit up.

“I’m… gunna go clean up.” He smiled, feeling Lance’s lips on his back before he got up.

Lance watched him go, paying particular attention to the way his hips moved as he walked. (His backside a subject of adoration without even mentioning it.) He sighed heavily, dropping back onto the bed as he heard the shower start. He rolled onto his side, his face half buried in the pillow. It smelled like Keith. He reached for it and inhaled deeply, savoring the scent and working it into a fixed memory. Being with Keith in that bed just then was incredible. And the shower before that. And just… all of it! He couldn’t help but smile to himself in that pillow, taking a moment to relish in it.

After finally deciding to clean up himself, he wandered in after Keith, wetting a hand towel and wiping down. Keith had only gone through a quick rinse before he had his jeans on once again. Lance, by then, fully dressed, stood at the door.

“We should really get together.” He smirked, hooking an arm around Keith’s waist, “You know, do this again real soon.”

Keith rolled his eyes and his own lips roguishly upturned. Lance pulled him in close and into a sensually slow kiss. With a wink, Lance was gone. Keith immediately began to wonder if it had all just been another dreamed up fantasy, now that Lance wasn’t physically within reach. But he touched his door, the soft thump of his forehead sounding as it bumped it, and he smiled with a happy blush on his cheeks.

 

* * *

 

 

Criminy, did his hips and back hurt! Any chance Keith had to stand still, he took. He didn’t dare actually _sitting_ anywhere. He really wished that they didn’t have to play diplomats so soon. Not even a full twenty-four hours after his ‘romp’ with Lance and they were on terra firma getting to know the locals. His body protested the physical activity, but Keith swallowed his discomfort. It was worth it. At least, he had thought so before the day aged.

They had gathered in the square of a large city. Decorations and excitement filled the area as the Paladins of Voltron were welcomed. The streets were drowned in the aroma of the local food and the air was filled with the tunes and tones of the local music. It was a clearly a highly anticipated visit. When the paladins and the Alteans reached the square, they were all swarmed with adulation. They all handled it as well as they usually did. But Keith couldn’t help noticing how well Lance always seemed to feed on the attention.

As their exaltations died down and the locals shifted into celebrating among themselves, Keith found a quiet wall to perch against, still aching in lingering reminders. He couldn’t help but don his usual grimace as he watched Lance in the distance, the local women fawning and calling for him. The grin on his face only dug at Keith more.

“Hey.” Keith nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to look and found familiar figure making his way over.

“Hey, Shiro.” He sighed.

“You doing ok?” Shiro leaned up against the wall next to Keith, his arms crossing over his chest in a similar fashion as his younger paladin.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Keith forced a small smile, “Just… training yesterday. Back’s a little… stiff.”

“Well, tonight you can relax.” Shiro reached and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Try and have a little fun. I know that you don’t really like these kinds of things but try loosening up just a little bit. I worry about you when you’re hiding by yourself and glowering in the dark.”

“You know I’m not glowering, Shiro.” Keith shook his head, “That’s just how my face stuck.”

Both chuckled softly. “We could go and grab a bite. What do you say?”

“Yeah…” Keith smiled back at Shiro, “I could ea- Is that Coran? What is he _wearing?”_

 

. . . . .

 

Keith was glad for the distractions. He really needed to think of anything other than Lance and his charismatic ways. Unfortunately, the distractions only lasted the night. The next day was more of the same. The only difference was the size of the crowd. Their visit shifted further into diplomatic and political and this time the invitation was left for those of influence in the planet’s upper crusts. Debutantes, princesses, baronesses and countesses. Each of them vying for Lance’s attention and he always seemed more than pleased to accommodate them all. It pricked at Keith’s heart each time he saw a hand on Lance’s arm or a coy smile his direction.

He gripped the goblet in his hand tighter each time one of the women giggled at Lance’s words. If it had been glass, he would have shattered it long ago. He stood in quiet, angry jealousy near the feast table, finding it a decent vantage point as well as somewhat solitary. His outward appearance seemed aloof to his surroundings, but his knuckles were white beneath the black gloves he wore.

“Geez, this is so boring.” An electric shock of surprise crawled down his spine as he tried to avoid looking startled. “I’m glad we don’t have to do this sort of stuff all the time.”

“Me too, Pidge.” Keith sighed as he looked over to her and Hunk as they approached his side. “Me too…”

“At least the food is decent.” Hunk shrugged as he filled a plate with samples.

Keith smiled softly at the yellow clad paladin, “There is that. Although, I would still take a sword on a battlefield any day over this.”

“No truer words, my friend.” All three turned to see who the new voice belonged to.

“Your Majesty.” Pidge greeted, the others following suit in a shallow, yet respectful bow.

The prince of the realm nodded in return with a kind smile, the look on his face akin to that of empathy. He was of a sturdy build that had a natural regal posture about it. Clearly bred for royal looks as well, though he also had the brush of battle about him.

“It is an honor, Paladins of Voltron.” He stepped up closer to them and offered Keith a greeting. Hands clasped around wrists and shook. He had a warrior’s grip. Keith admired that. “I can’t say I took to these kinds of things myself, either.”

From then, the party became much more bearable for Keith, (as well as his other two companions.) The prince was a rather down-to-earth man and was easy to converse with; a man of the people, kind, and easy to talk to. After comparing different types of food, (sneaking them into the kitchen - much to Hunk’s delight,) Pidge was entertained by his vast knowledge of the local star system and interest in the astronomical sciences. Keith enjoyed a few sparring sessions with the prince, their matches keeping Pidge and Hunk guessing on the outcome at the end. He was very skilled as a swordsman. Keith was grateful having something else to keep his mind focused on for a while. Most especially after seeing Lance wandering the halls himself, on their way to the armory, with the prince’s sister latched onto his arm. Their eyes locked for a moment, but Keith felt even _that_ was too long to see him with his arm candy. It was a taxingly long evening. Much to the great delight of Keith and the other two paladins in his company, they would be back on a floating castle in the stars come the next midday. At least the remainder of his time was spent with good company. If it wasn’t for Pidge and Hunk, (and their new royal friend,) Keith wasn’t sure where he would have been emotionally that night.

 

 . . . . . .

 

What he wouldn’t have given for a distraction _now._ Even the training room didn’t help. Everything reminded him of Lance. Lance and… naked… Lance. And those thoughts moved onto wondering just what that whole ordeal was. What did Keith even expect it to be? It had just been a lapse in judgement that fell into his favor – for that particular moment. It was amazing, and wonderful, and better than he had expected, and all he could ever have wanted, and… fleeting, and left him wanting more, and craving that touch, and aching for that voice in his ear, that breath on his neck, the lips on his skin. Would they ever be something he could feel again? Had he expected to? Sure, he could admit that. Was that a smart expectation? Probably less so.

His hands moved over his face as his head craned back in exasperation. He drew in a deep breath as they moved over his features, fingers lingering over his mouth as he released his breath in a defeated sigh. He avoided everyone once they got back to the Castle of Lions. They made headway to who-cared-where, and he made sure to tuck away for some alone time. But his normal haunts were haunting _him_. So Keith found a new sanctuary in a storage bay by Red Lion’s hangar and watched as systems flew passed the vast window, feeling small and alone in the dark. His back thumped against the container as he slumped against it, a hand passing through his dark hair as the other fell back at his side.

“Aaaah, Keith…” he murmured to himself, “How could you let this happen?”

He could have fallen into obscurity with his secret one-sided love and he would have been fine with it. He had gone for so long on his own, he knew how to cope with things like that. Schrodinger was a good friend of his. But once that box opened, he couldn’t help but feel more like Pandora and the more he had time to linger on it, the darker his world really became. What _did_ he expect to happen after that? His mind rushed back to Lance’s departing words. _“Do this again real soon.”_ Everything about it just dripped ’hook-up’. Nothing invested, nothing meaningful. Jesus, was he just another name to call in a little black book now? Just another number on the list, a new notch on his belt? Keith made himself slightly sick at the thought. He knew Lance was a flirt. Still, he fell for him. He knew Lance was a bit of a philanderer. Still, he wanted him. He watched Lance make passes and poor attempts to seduce others countless times. Still, he fantasized about being together.

It was acceptable when it was all just that. A fantasy. Now that they had been with one another, now that Keith heard his name on Lance’s lips and felt them against his own, it was different. It was all different. He wanted it all for himself. He didn’t want to think of Lance whispering heated calls of that princess, or think of Lance’s hands on someone else’s hips, or think of Lance’s – God, he was going to throw up if he didn’t stop this train of thought. He wanted those moments to be theirs, theirs alone. Those feelings, those sensations, that exposure, that vulnerability. Keith had resigned to never give that away but broke that promise to himself easier than snapping a thread. He handed Lance everything that day. And now, he paid for it. He was freefalling into an abyss of worthlessness, being nothing but a speck in Lance’s palm, just one more _plaything_. Why? Why did he let this happen?

“So… swinging swords with another guy, hm?” Keith could feel all his nerves fire at once and the hair on his arms stood straight as he looked over to find Lance standing beside him, an arm up against the container as he leaned against it, that devilish debonair smirk on his lips. “I’m hurt.”

Keith’s teeth clenched as he could only look at Lance, wallowing in the _audacity_ he had to say such a thing. When Keith didn’t say anything, Lance straightened, the smile vanishing from his lips.

“Kei-“

“You’re hurt? You’re _hurt? You’re_ hurt?” Every time Keith said it, it was worse. “Don’t treat this like some kind of joke, Lance! Don’t treat _me_ like one of your _floosies!”_

McClain was taken aback, “Floos- What? Keith, what are-“

“I knew better.” Keith turned away from him, not wanting to even see his face, “I **knew** better. I never should have- WE never should have!”

“Dude, calm down a minute and-“ Lance had reached for Keith’s shoulder, but the second Keith felt his touch he swatted him off so hard and fast, it had spun him back to fact him. Lance’s eyes went wide as he pulled his arm back.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Keith could feel himself on the brink of tears. Rage, sadness, longing, all spilling into him at once, leaving him feeling as though he were about to drown, “I’m not going to just sit by while you go around spending your time flirting with everyone that flashes you a smile. I’m not going to be ok seeing you held onto by someone you just met an hour ago like you’ve been together for months. I’m not going to be fine with all that and have _you_ come here and jab at _me_ for _talking_ to another person! I… I’m not going to be just _used_ and forgotten.”

The silence between them made Keith’s ears ring. It was too long, but he didn’t know what he wanted Lance to say – or if he even wanted to hear his voice at all. It was his fault. Keith knew it was his own doing that started this whole mess. He was sure that Lance knew it too and was ready to throw it back at him. Even it if was all his own fault, it didn’t make the reality of being ‘flavor of the night’ hurt any less.

“Are you fucking _insane?!_ ” Here it came.

“Fuck you!” Eloquent. It was all Keith could do from punching him square in the jaw right then.

“No, fuck _you_ , man!” It was Lance’s turn to spit anger at the accusations flying his way, “I have been _looking_ for you for **days**! But _you_ can’t seem to fucking sit still!” Lance stepped up, his finger jabbing angrily in Keith’s direction as he moved onto the defensive. “One minute you’re right next to me, the next, you’re fucking _gone!_ I finally get a breath of air and end up looking for you half the damn day every time! Every _second_ I can’t wait to find you, I can’t wait to _be_ with you, but you’re _never **there**_! When I _finally_ fucking find you, you’re never alone! How am I supposed to get you to myself when you’re with Shiro? Or Pidge and Hunk? Or Prince Light Saber?! ‘Hey, sorry, let me just randomly borrow my rival-for-years so we can find a dark corner and suck face the rest of the night!’ ‘Oh, sure. Not a problem. By all means, have fun.’ Seriously, Keith?! Don’t give me that shit!”

Keith had no words. Had he really been out of reach that whole time? Was Lance really looking for him?

“But…” Keith’s resentment toward Lance had shrunk immensely, along with his voice, “I saw you… with the princess.”

“Right about when I saw you with that fucking show-off prince…” Lance had stopped yelling too, but he was clearly still irritated at the memory. “She found me in the hall while I was looking for you and was dragging me back to the party.”

Keith’s natural state was always to duck into the shadows. But he realized then, that it never did last that long. His friends never allowed him to suffer alone. In silence, perhaps, but never alone. (Pidge was always best at that sort of comradery, Keith learned.) If Lance really _did_ , want to see him, to be _alone_ with him, he could see just how difficult it might have been. Even Allura and Coran had been with Keith for a stint of time, not to mention his own crowd of local fanfare he recalled then. He felt his stomach twist a bit.

“I…” he still didn’t know what to say. “I didn’t think… You didn’t seem to…” _Christ, just spit it out._ “I thought what happened was just… a fling for you.” He shrugged a little, eyes looking everywhere but Lance.

“Are you _kidding_ me?” Lance made a grand gesture with his arms in emphasis, “I can’t get it out of my head! All I can ever think about is you…” Keith looked up at him and felt a flush on his cheeks. “The second I walked out of your room I wanted to turn around a go back. My bed was cold every night. And empty. I…”

Lance trailed off and stepped closer to Keith, leaning in and whispering into his ear, “I had to settle for my own fantasy that first night…” Keith’s face reddened completely as he imagined Lance servicing himself to thoughts of him and he shoved Lance back immediately. McClain stumbled back and chuckled softly at the sight of Keith failing to hide his embarrassment over it. “Keith…” Lance reached for Keith’s hands, moving them away from his flushed face so he could look at him. “I know I kind of feed off of attention. I can’t help it. I was born under a flashy star. But, I can promise you… Yours is the only attention I _want_.” As he said those last words, Lance brought Keith’s hands up to his face, his palms warm on the skin of his cheeks.

Keith stared at the face cupped in his hands. After all that time, all that inner turmoil, it turned out that it was all just Keith digging himself deeper into darkness for no reason. The whole time he thought he was hiding from his problems when, in reality, he was running from what he wanted. “Lance, I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Promise me something.” Lance’s eyes narrowed with the weight of his request. “Promise me you’ll never think of yourself as just a score. You’re not just a fling. You’re not just a tally. I _never_ thought of you that way. Keith, you’re so much more. **I** want to be more than that to _you._ ” _You were never –_ Keith wanted to say the words but didn’t have the nerve or the moment to get it out. “I really want to _become_ something. I had a lot of time to think about it these last couple days, trust me.” Lance reached out and pulled Keith closer by the waist, “I don’t know if I love you, Keith. We spent _one_ night together. But I want to find out – and I’ll tell you a secret – I really hope it turns out that I do.”

Keith knew. Keith loved him already. He had for a long time. That was the reason it was so easy to give him everything. That’s why it hurt so much to think of himself as a simple score in the Game. That’s why his heart soared to learn Lance’s secret. He really hoped so too.

Lance felt his heart skip when he watched a single tear slip down Keith’s cheek. He smiled softly and reached to wipe it away with a thumb. He sighed lightly as he let his forehead rest against Keith’s. “Now… about swinging swords with some other guy…”

“Fuck off…” Keith couldn’t help a smile and reached his arms across Lance’s shoulders as he felt himself get pulled into a long awaited kiss.


End file.
